While eating like your Nordic ancestors isn’t likely to appeal to most people, a new study by Lund University in Lund, Sweden says that adopting a traditional Nordic diet could do a lot of good when it comes to your cholesterol.
The study, which studied the effects of a traditional Nordic diet in people with symptoms of metabolic syndrome, says that these foods helped reduce bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol–two important factors that could decrease a person’s risk for heart disease.
“The Nordic diet decreased bad cholesterol and increased good cholesterol,” says Lieselotte Cloetens, Ph.D., a biomedical researcher from Lund University, who authored the study. “We estimate that the ratio of bad to good cholesterol improved [enough] that it may reduce [death from heart] disease some 10 to 15 percent within five to 10 years.”
In addition, Cloetens says these effects can be experienced in as little as three months–a lifesaver for those who already face a higher risk of heart problems caused by poor cholesterol management.
And its benefits even trickle down to your type 2 diabetes risk.
“Those changes in the long run may result in some 20 to 40 percent reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes,” says Cloetens.
Details of the Nordic Diet Study
Testing a group of 166 people, Cloetens and her team of researchers divided people into two groups: Those who would follow a typical Nordic diet and those who would eat a more typical American diet higher in dairy fat and salt. All participants showed symptoms of metabolic syndrome–a conglomerate of conditions associated with an elevated risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and central obesity, or obesity where most of the fat occurs in the midsection.
For the next 18 weeks, Lund then instructed the participants to follow these diets–and then observed how these diets affected their cholesterol.
The result? People who followed the Nordic diet had lower bad cholesterol and higher good cholesterol–something that Cloetens believes could translate to a 10 to 15 percent reduced risk of heart disease in the long-term.
“When there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries, causing a process called atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease,” says WebMD. “LDL is the main source of artery-clogging plaque. HDL actually works to clear cholesterol from the blood. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack.”
In conclusion, researchers say adopting a Nordic diet could be the solution for fighting out-of-control cholesterol levels. As for what Scandinavians typically eat, there’s nothing offensive here: Most Nords live on a diet of fatty fish, whole grains, berries, and vegetables.
For an even bigger health swap, however, you may want to swap out butter for a tablespoon of rapeseed oil too.
“Scandinavians use rapeseed oil,” says Cloetens.
If you find the name off-putting, don’t fret: Rapeseed oil is just another name for canola oil, which you find in your local grocery aisle.
Readers: What are some of your favorite Scandinavian foods?
Sources:
Nordic Diet Helps Lower Cholesterol Levels – Examiner.net
Cholesterol and Heart Disease – WebMD.com
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